Self-elevating seat mechanism



Feb. 13, 1968 WALKINSHAW 3,368,846

SELF-ELEVATING SEAT MECHANISM Filed Sept. 8, 1966 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 I NVE NTOK THOMAS GZWALKIMSHAU Feb. 13, 1968 w ms w 3,368,846

S ELF- ELEJATING S EAT MECHANI SM Filed Sept. 8, 1966 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 [HIIHIHI IHIHIIHHIHHHIH I NVEN'TOR.

THOMAS G. WALKINSHAW ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,368,846 SELF-ELEVATING SEAT MECHANISM Thomas G. Walkinshaw, Mission, Kans., assignor t0 Cramer Industries, Inc., Kansas City, Kans., a corporation of Missouri Filed Sept. 8, 1966, Ser. No. 578,022 3 Claims. (Cl. 297-333) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A mounting structure for a self-pivoting seat includes, a coil spring extending into a countersunk portion in the seat and surrounding a spindle upon which the seat pivots. A support standard receives the spindle in rotatably fixed relation and has an arcuate adjusting slot therethrough. An adjusting plate is movably secured against the standard and includes a retaining arm extending through the standard adjusting slot and engaging the spring. The plate also has a stop selectively engaging one of several circumferentially spaced grooves in the standard for adjusting the angular position of the plate which adjusts the tension of the spring.

This invention relates to seating structuresand more particularly, to a new and improved mounting mechanism for self-elevatin g seat members.

Spectator seats which pivot upwardly upon release of load are well known. It is desirable to provide spring adjusting means to insure pivoting the seats to a full upward position upon the release of load but permit the seat to be easily moved to and retained in a horizontal position. Such adjusting mechanisms which have been heretofore provided, however, have either been excessively complex and expensive, too diflicult to use, or were amenable to accidental adjustments or unauthorized tampering. This invention presents simplified and improved adjusting structure through the use of a substantially concealed spring adjusted by changing the angular position of an external plate having an arm extending through a standard to engage the spring.

The principal objects of this invention are: to provide such an adjustment means operable from the exterior of said seating structure to adjust the tension of an interiorly located unexposed or concealed spring means; to provide such an adjustment means releasably secured at various relative positions to selectively adjust the tension of said spring in such a manner that unauthorized or accidental adjustments may not easily occur; and to provide such a mounting mechanism employing a minimum of parts, said parts being easily and inexpensively constructed and assembled to form an efficiently operable seating structure.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein are set forth by way of illustration and example certain embodiments of this invention.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the seating structure having a self-elevating seat member operatively connected to a standard member for swinging movement relative thereto and embodying the features of this invention.

FIG. 2 is a front elevational view of the seating structure shown in FIG. 1 with the seat member in its elevated generally upright position showing a pair of mounting mechanisms on opposed sides of the seating member for swingably connecting the seat member to the standard member.

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary side elevational view enlarged of one of the mounting mechanisms illustrated in FIG. 1

3,368,846 Patented Feb. 13, 1968 for swingably connecting the seat member to the standard member.

FIG. 4 is a vertical sectional view through the spindle means employed for connecting the seat member to the standard member showing a side elevational view of a portion of the seat member with a helical spring retained within a bore in said portion of said seat member and about said spindle.

FIG. 5 is a vertical sectional view through the spindle showing a side elevation of a portion of the standard member having an adjustment plate removed therefrom to illustrate an adjustment slot disposed arcuately about said spindle with radiating grooves in communication with said slot, said seat member being illustrated in an elevated generally upright position.

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view taken on line 66 of FIG. 3 through the portion of the standard member and the seat member showing the spindle as positioned through aligned bores in the seat member and the standard member with the helical spring operatively mounted in a countersunk portion of the bore in the seat member having one end portion of said spring connected to said seat member and the other end portion engaged by an arm extending from the tension adjustment mechanism releasably secured to the standard member.

Referring to the drawings in more detail:

The reference numeral 1 generally refers to a seating structure having a standard member 2 illustrated herein as being integrally formed with a back rest structure 4 and having a seat member 6 swingably connected to the standard 2 by a pair of mounting or connection assemblies 7 embodying the features of this invention, said seat member 6 being self-elevating upon release of the seating load to a generally upright position as illustrated in FIG. 2. The seating structure 1 is illustrative of one form of a seating structure on which a new and novel mounting assembly may be employed for providing a self'elevating seat member having a selectively adjustable spring means for swinging said seat member to an elevated or upright position.

The swingable seat member 6, as illustrated, is of a unitarily cast construction having a circumferentially extending downwardly directed flange member 8 defining opposed side portions 10 and 12, each having a rearwardly located mounting portion 14 and 16 for connection to the standard member 2. As illustrated, the mounting portions 14 and 16 of the circumferentially extending flange 8 each define a through bore or aperture 18 having an exteriorly located countersunk portion 20 defining an enlarged bore portion.

The standard member 2, as illustrated herein, is a unitarily cast structure having a single upright post 24 flaring outwardly at its upper portion 26 with forwardly extending spaced mountingportions 28 and 30 in adjacent outwardly aligned relation to the mounting portions 14 and 16 respectively of the circumferential flange '8 of the scat member 6. As illustrated, each of the mounting portions 28 and 30 of the standard member 2 define a' through bore 32 for receipt of a mounting assembly 7 for operatively connecting the self-elevating seat member 6 to the standard member 2. Each of the portions 28 and 30 have a second through bore illustrated herein as a through arcuate slot 34 disposed circumferentially about the through bore 32 in spaced relation therefrom and having a center axis on a radius from the center point from the center axis of the through bore 32. A plurality of rotation limiting abutment surfaces, illustrated as radially directed spaced grooves 36, extend outwardly from slot 34 and in communication therewith to cooperate with the mounting assembly 7 to set the 3 tension of a spring means for elevating the seat memher 6.

Each of the mounting assemblies 7, as illustrated, are comprised of a spindle 38, a pair of nylon bushings or grommets 40 and 42, a coil spring 44 and a spring tension adjustment means 46. The spindles 38 are each suitably fixed to the mounting portions 28 and 30 of the standard member 2 and extended through the bores 18 on the opposed sides and 12 of seat member 6 to provide a pair of opposed spaced shafts for the seat member 6 to revolve about in moving from the seating position to an upright or elevated position. A retaining bushing or grommet 40 is disposed circumferentially about the spindles 38 in the bores 18 maintaining the spindles 38 in spaced relation from the side wall surfaces of the bores 18. Each of the retaining bushings 40 has an outer ring portion 45 extending circumferentially about the spindle 38 and lying in abutting relation to the interior surface of the flange 8 of the seat member 6 to thereby retain the spindle 38 against movement inwardly of the bore 18.

The coil spring 44, illustrated herein as a rectangular spring, is housed within the countersunk portion of the through bore 18, said spring 44 having a pair of end portions 48 and 50 with one of said end portions being operatively connected to the standard member 2 and the other of said end portions being operatively connected to the seat member 6 in order to provide a self-elevating movement of the seat member 6 when the seating load is relieved therefrom. In the illustrated embodiment, the countersunk portion 20 has an outwardly extending groove 52 defined in its side wall for receiving the end portion 48 to retain said end portion 48 against rotation. The opposite end portion 50 of the spring 44 has means thereon for connection to the spring tension adjustment means and illustrated herein as a hook or open ring defining an open aperture 51. A second grommet or bushing 42 is disposed about the spindle 38 inwardly of the coil spring 44 in order to prevent contact between the spring 44 and the spindle 38.

The spindles 38 each have a threaded end portion 58 exteriorly of the side portions 32 and 34 for threading engagement with a washer-nut assembly 60 to thereby retain the spindle 38 in the desired position within the bores 32 and 18 of the standard member 2 and seat member 6 respectively.

The end portions 50 of each of the spring members 44 forming the aperture 51 are disposed in aligned relation interiorly of the adjustment slot 34 for engagement by the tension adjustment means 46 such that the coil spring 44 may be selectively tensioned in order to vary the elevating force effected in lifting the seat member 6 to its upright or elevated position.

The spring tensioning means 46, as illustrated, is comprised of a plate-like rri'ember 64 having an interior surface 66 and an exterior surface 68 with a spring retaining arm 70 extending outwardly from the interior surface 66 with an abutment surface 72 formed by a stop member boss, or protuberance 73 adajacent the arm 70 and also located on the interior surface 66. The plate 64 defines a first aperture 76 therethrough for receiving the end portion 58 of the spindle 38 for mounting the plate 64 in contacting relation with the exterior surface 77 of the mounting portions 28 and 3 0 of the standard member 2. The plate 64 defines a second aperture 78 disposed in spaced relation outwardly from the first aperture 76 and employed as a tool engaging means such that a conventional tool such as a screw driver or the like may be engaged within the aperture 78 in order to impose a rotational force on the plate 64 for varying the tension of the spring 44.

The spring retaining arm 70 operatively connected to the plate 64 is illustrated herein as an outwardly tapering shaft member having an outward end portion 80 received in the open aperture 51 formed by the hooked end portion 50 of the spring 44 to connect the end portion 50 of spring 44 to the standard member 2. As the plate 64 may be rotated relative to the standard member 2, the connection point for the spring 44 to the standard member 2 may be varied in order to vary the tensional force of the spring 44 on the seating member 6.

The spring tensioning means 46 includes a locking assembly 82 comprised of means for maintaining the plates 64 in contacting relation with the mounting portions 28 and 30 of the standard means 2 and means to prevent rotation of the plate 64 about the end portions 58 of the spindle 38 caused by the force of the spring 44 on the arm 70. As illustrated, the locking assembly 82 is comprised of the washer-nut assembly 60 which by its threaded engagement to the end portion 58 of the spindles 38 retains the plate 64 in generally contacting relation to the respective mounting portions 28 and 30 and cooperative means on the plate 64 and portions 28 and 30 defining abutment surfaces to limit the rotation of the plate about the spindle 38. The rotation limiting cooperative means are comprised of the stop member 73 on the plate 64 and the series of grooves 36 in the respective mounting portions 28 and 30 which selectively receive the stop member 73, said stop member 73 being retained in said grooves 36 by the compressive force of the nut assembly 60.

In operation, the plate 64 is employed on the exterior surface 74 of the mounting portions 28 and 30 of the standard member 2 in overlying relation to the adjustment slot 34 and partially overlying the radially extending grooves 36. The end portion 58 of the spindle 38 s received through the aperture 76 of the plate 64 and the interior surface 66 of the plate 64 is moved into contacting relation with the exterior surface 77 of the mounting portions 28 and 30. A nut-washer assembly 60 is then engaged with the end portion 58 of spindle 38 and moved into securing abutting contacting relation with the exterior surface 77. With the mounting plate 64 in this position, the arm 70 is received through the adjustment slot 34 and the aperture 51 defined by the end portion of the spring 44 to thereby operatively engage the end portion 50 of spring 44 to secure said end portion 50 to said standard means 2 in a desired relative position to the opposite end portion 48 of spring 44 secured in the groove 52 in the seat member 6. The abutment boss 73 is disposed within a radially extending groove 36 such that the cooperative action of the abutment surface 71 of boss 73 and the groove 36 and the compressing force of the washer-nut assembly retain the plate 64 in the desired position about the spindle 38 to set the relative position of the end portions 48 and 50 of the spring 44 to obtain a desired tensional force in the spring 44 for lifting the seat member 6.

When it is desired to adjust the plate 64, the washernut assembly is merely loosened to such a point that the boss 73 on the interior surface 66 of the plate 64 will clear the groove 36 allowing the spring 44 to rotate the plate 64 to a neutral spring position or until the movement of the arm is limited by the end of the slot 34. A tool may then be engaged in the aperture 78 and the plate 64 rotated against the direction of the spring action to thereby adjust the tensional characteristics of the spring 44 to the desired point dependent upon various conditions which may exist to cause variations in the lifting force of the spring. In this manner, the spring 44 may be easily and quickly adjusted to vary its tensional force on the seating member 6 while maintaining the spring member 44 in aconcealed or unexposed position behind the plate 64 and the mounting portions 28 and 30 of the standard member 2. It should be noted that the novel arrangement of parts herein recited may be reversed such that the mounting portions 14 and 16 of the seat member 6 are located exteriorly of the mounting portions 28 and 30 of the standard member 2 with the adjustment plate 64 being mounted in contacting relation to the mounting portions 14 and 16 of the seat member 6. Only minor variations would be required in the illustrated structure to accommodate a change of this type.

It is to be understood that while I have illustrated and described one form of my invention, it is not to be limited to the specific form or arrangement of parts herein described and shown except insofar as such limitations are included in the claims.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A seating unit comprising:

(a) a swingable seat having a mounting portion with a countersunk portion extending horizontally thereinto, a spindle extending into said countersunk portion and rotatably engaging said seat mounting portion,

(b) a coil spring surrounding said spindle and received in said countersunk portion, one end of said spring being anchored to said seat mounting portion,

(c) a standard for supporting said seat and including a mounting portion with an inner face adjacent said seat mounting portion and an outer face, said spindle extending through said standard mounting portion and terminating in a stud projecting outwardly of said outer face, said spindle being rot'atably fixed with respect to said standard mounting portion,

(d) an adjustment aperture extending through said standard mounting portion and spaced radially from said spindle and extending partially circumferentially about said spindle, a plurality of circumferentially spaced-apart grooves projecting into said outer face,

(e) an adjusting plate slidably engaging said outer face for pivotal movement about said stud, said plate having a retaining arm fixed thereto and projecting through said adjustment aperture into said countersunk portion, said retaining arm engaging the other end of said spring, said adjusting plate having a stop fixed thereto and selectively receivable in one of said outer face grooves, and

(f) means movably engaged with said stud for selectively retaining said adjusting plate against said outer face, whereby upon loosening said last named means said adjusting plate is rotatable for engaging said stop in another face groove to adjust the tension of said spring.

2. The structure as set forth in claim 1 wherein:

(a) said adjustment aperture is an elongated arcuate slot.

3. The structure as set forth in claim 1 wherein:

(a) said adjusting plate has tool engaging means thereon to facilitate said plate rotation.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,008,744 11/1911 Smith 248-383 1,165,654 12/ 1915 Eisner 297-257 2,272,298 2/ 1942 Hanson 297-333 2,312,638 3/1943 Gedris 297-333 2,500,135 3/1950 Nordmark 297-333 2,660,226 11/1953 Wing 297-373 2,828,803 4/1958 Howe et a1. 297-333 2,913,039 11/1959 Mauser 297-333 FRANCIS K. ZUGEL, Primary Examiner. 

